Phnom Penh (FN), May 28 , 2025 – Phnom Penh City Hall today announced road safety advances achieved under its recent “Reduce Driving Under the Influence” initiative. The project centered on strengthening local enforcement of national drink driving laws by increasing police enforcement checkpoints in high-risk locations based on city data, and as advised by the national government’s drink driving plan.

The effort is supported as part of Phnom Penh's ongoing work with the Partnership for Healthy Cities, a prestigious global network of 74 cities committed to saving lives by preventing noncommunicable diseases (NCDs)—such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer—and injuries. Road safety remains a significant public health challenge in Phnom Penh, with drink driving noted as a key risk factor. According to data from the National Traffic Police, almost one third of all road crashes in Cambodia in 2024 occurred in Phnom Penh.

As a result of the project intervention, the number of alcohol breathalyzers in Phnom Penh increased by 40%, enabling the local police to boost the number of alcohol checkpoints from 25 to 50 throughout the capital. Between October 2024 and February 2025, 52,065 vehicle checks took place. Eleven percent of drivers registered positive breath test results within the designated checkpoint zones.

A total of 160 enforcement officers, transport officers and health officials also participated in three workshops covering breathalyzer operation, safe and effective checkpoint set-up, road safety protocols and first responder training, with participants reporting increased knowledge in all areas. An online communication campaign on the risks of drink driving was launched in parallel, successfully generating a total of 9.7 million views.

Looking ahead, the project will help serve as replicable example for future road safety efforts in both Phnom Penh and other provinces. On behalf of Phnom Penh Capital Hall, Phnom Penh Vice Governor H.E. Imran Hassan expressed his appreciation to the Partnership for Healthy Cities for its ongoing support and applauded the project team for its fruitful project achievements. Vice Governor Imran said he looks forward to continuing and strengthening the collaboration between Phnom Penh and the global network as the city prepares for new initiatives on safer school zones and tobacco control, launching later this year.

Farhad Ali, Deputy Regional Director for the Partnership for Healthy Cities at Vital Strategies, said: “We commend the city for its dedication to reducing road traffic fatalities and injuries as part of the Partnership network. The city’s ongoing work demonstrates the power of local leadership in addressing complex public health and injury prevention challenges through evidence-based strategies and interventions.”

Overall, the initiative contributed to broader action by local and national authorities to reduce road traffic fatalities and injuries country-wide, with recent data highlighting promising trends. According to the latest 2024 figures from the National Road Safety Committee (presented in February 2025), significant improvements were achieved across all areas, when compared to 2023: 14% decrease in road crashes, 5% decline in fatalities and 18% reduction in injuries.

According to the World Health Organization, approximately 1.19 million people die worldwide each year as a result of road traffic crashes. Drink driving significantly increases the likelihood of being involved in a crash and is a key risk factor for 27% of all road injuries globally.

This project aligns with the Royal Government of Cambodia’s determination to achieve the global target of reducing road traffic deaths and injuries by 50% by 2030, as outlined in the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030.

Phnom Penh and the Partnership for Healthy Cities
Phnom Penh joined the Partnership for Healthy Cities in 2017. Previous projects focused on healthier food environments, including the introduction of a 2023 measure that prohibits the sale of sugary drinks and unhealthy foods in schools, in line with national guidelines. The Partnership is supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies in partnership with the World Health Organization and global health organization Vital Strategies. For more information visit: https://cities4health.org

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